Poll: Brits want Cameron to debate Farage

Voters want the leaders of the political parties to have more debates in 2015, with the inclusion of UKIP leader Nigel Farage

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A ComRes poll has revealed that Brits want the Prime Minister to debate against Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, before the next general election.

54 percent of people who were polled said they wanted to see Farage in the line up against the Conservative Prime Minister. The answers made clear that the majority of people think Farage should be included in any debates which are certain to include Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and the Labour leader, Ed Miliband.

Two-thirds of voters in the poll of 2,000 adults said Mr Cameron would “look like a coward” if he fails to take part in a re-run of the live debates that electrified the last election in 2010.

Mr Farage said: “With UKIP’s growing popularity and the centrality of the issues on which we campaign it is pretty obvious from these figures that I agree with the majority of the people of Britain.”

Only 20 percent said that they felt Farage should be excluded from the debates.

Andrew Hawkins, ComRes chairman, said: “By agreeing to the debates in 2010 the main parties created an expectation among voters for future clashes which could backfire badly if they try to wriggle out of them. This genie is well and truly out of the bottle.”

Other noteworthy trends include the fact that 14 percent more men than women wanted the UKIP leader in the debates, which 12 percent fewer public sector workers felt the same way as their private sector counterparts on this topic.

The poll also confirms recent comments regarding the dismissed chairman of UKIP’s youth branch, Young Independence. Commentators have implied that the party could be haemorrhaging support from youngsters. Only 41 percent aged 25-34 want to see Farage go toe-to-toe in the debates, a number which rises to 66 percent for those aged 65+.